Archive for the ‘addictions’ Category

That was fun right? Everybody is making lots of jokes about Rep. Anthony Wiener (D-NY,) his eponymous body part and other photos. Comedians, joke-tellers, pundits, pontificators and others are having a great time with this situation and making good money out of it.

Now, I said that this is non-political and it is but, of course, politics gets involved because he’s a politician. So, besides all the jokes and wise-cracks, there’s also plenty of call for his resignation from both sides of the aisle. His colleagues are suddenly stepping away from him as if he fell into the muck-tank and managed to climb out and is now sitting on their collective porch. Even President Obama couldn’t resist making a comment, stating that he would be personally embarrassed. Somehow he couldn’t say that Wiener has been given a leave of absensce by the House, has entered treatment, and let it go at that. Or just said that he’s got nothing to say on the matter. Everybody acts as if Anthony Wiener, one of the House gadflies, suddenly stinks like a large, dead, beached whale.

Why is this? What’s wrong here? The man has said he’s got a problem, admitted to God, himself and (several/many) other human being the exact nature of his wrongs. He’s said he’s going to get treatment and has done that. Why is he a pariah? What horrible thing did he do?

I don’t know. What I know is that the man sent some revealing photos of himself to people to whom he was not married. As far as I know the photos weren’t viewed by the recipients as “harassment” or unwelcome. The people to whom he sent the photographs weren’t underaged, as far as I know. What I’m saying is that these were acts between, or among, consenting adults.

So what did he do? Why should he resign? Beats me. He said he has a problem and has begun treatment for that problem. I thought that was the American way. I can think of any number of people in public life who’ve had problems, have sought help for those problems, and we’ve embraced them for having the courage to face their demons. Betty Ford & Robert Downey, Jr. come to mind pretty easily. Shrub (OK – not so embraced by all.) How many times did Lawrence Taylor get busted for using drugs & get sent to rehab without his team mates and members of opposing teams screaming for his ouster? What about the Mick? Mickey Mantel (or Mick Jagger, for that matter.) Loads of men and women in the Arts go to rehab & then capitalize on the story (see my earlier blog entry “Anonymity A Quaint Idea? Not Really” for how I see that bit of stuff.)

Yeah, yeah. I get it. All those worthies went into treatment for drug & alcohol abuse, not a sex scandal. Well, get over it. It’s all poor impulse control kiddies. It’s not even about “poor judgement” and, if it was really about being some kind of “role model” then Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth would have been dragged through the mud instead of being The Mick and The Sultan of Swat.

It’s all about learning to face those demons, however they choose to attack. It’s no less moral to send a picture (to someone who is willing to receive it) than it is to go driving drunk on the freeway on a regular basis and is certainly less dangerous to life and limb. We’ll celebrate the singer who goes to rehab umpty-nunkle times for booze & blow, but not the politico who sent someone a photo of his (oh, really. Don’t make me say it, Okay?) Let’s get over it. The man has a problem. He’s taking care of it. Done.

Any questions? Comments? Rebuttals? Post a reply to this (or any other of my posts) on this site. I promise I won’t bite and I’ll even try to mount an intelligent response. No promises about the intelligence or intelligibility of the response, but I’ll try. I’ll even make a special effort to be civil. Let me know what you think.